Training

The ideal practice of the Work requires that the individual is as physically close to your work group, under the personal direction of the master, as possible either in the matrix or in any unit of the IOA. However there are different situations that this which must be addressed to ensure the cult eclectic and adapted to the needs of every people and place. For instance when establishing a new core away from headquarters or other existing nuclei.

An example of what happens is when a person with permanent residence in a foreign country come to us to learn our ways of relating to the deity but has not the conditions to live here to continue work as usual as most of us do.

Or still there are people’s natural from Brazil living in another state or cities and for the same reasons are physically unable to attend to the sessions of the Order indefinitely. Dealing with these atypical situations requires flexibility and responsibility of the institution in order to provide the opportunity to exercise the spiritual worship to the participant and to include else than exclude anyone. At the same time the approach may not engage in questionable situations or even dangerous ones arising from non-constant supervision of its members during the ceremony Ayahuasca. Suffice to say; only extremely trained people are able to handle an IOA ceremony in a healthy and guaranteed way, and only those are allowed to do it.

Any extremist approach, with different cases than usual, may be creating unfair conditions for members with compromise or otherwise jeopardize the safety and reliability of the Order, so loved and respected by its members. Some sects choose not to allow in any way, the use of the tea out of their rooms and strict rituals choosing to ensure safety at all costs (although for masters this is a possibility. Others choose to leave the use of tea, in addition to the scheduled ceremonies, within extra ceremonies for smaller groups of people or family (in birthdays) or a few friends. Besides these, there is the case of small groups of few individuals who want to create a center of the Order in their homes, but lacks the members and the structure necessary for now; in such cases – always this small group being led by a master with years of experience with the Vegetal and with the teaching of the Order – the group is allowed to function as an embryo (with sessions on the same days and times of all other nuclei of the Order) to create the necessary conditions for the legal structure for that local center to arise. This way people in the region will have one more option to commune the Vegetal and receive the teachings of the Order and thus, grow in strength and solidity.

The Order observes that in every sect, a master or member from a certain rank (ie length of experience, common sense and deep knowledge on the doctrine of the sect, absolute reliability in the responsibility of the member in question, etc) are allowed to use ayahuasca in other places (eg when creating new groups in other cities) and even distribute it under orders of the matrix. The qualification of this responsible users are attested by their commitment with the religious context only (once the tea without it has not much purpose nor effectiveness), for his commitment to the Work over time, to have a deep knowledge of the teachings and have plenty of experience with tea and the states provided by It, among several other factors that characterize a qualified individual. It is the duty of master of every sect to judge who can and cannot use Ayahuasca in rituals, inside or outside of the matrix ceremonies or local centers as well as it is up to him to determine to whom the use would be inappropriate in the first instance (in the case of persons diagnosed with mental instability among others).

The choice that the Order uses is simple, organic and natural. She chooses to assess each case deeply and make sure that the proper use will be made in order to contribute to the spiritual benefit of the participants while allowing the expansion of the Order carefully observed to other places. Without a fixed rule, but with more attention in each case than in general have been in cults. This is because only by personal contact and attention paid between members and masters that can arise and fruitful relationship which will prove beneficial and sustainable over time. It is in this intimate and careful way that the Order has established branches in other countries and this is the way that each member should look upon his brothers into or outside of order.

So there are some members with a special status. Usually foreigners or residents of other cities/states that already have extensive experience with Ayahuasca and when they come into contact with the Work of our Order, they want not only to continue its practice but also bring it to others in their homelands. These members (as well as all others) go through a series of procedures for membership (after all we are not looking forward members – they come as they are “called”) and once it is established and they are ready to be part of the Order, we start a special assessment that begins with a season of Intensive Training in the teachings of the Order for a variable period (usually a few months) so that the person is able to start working in their region of origin in a proper way , which is defined altogether with the Order´s master that best fit local needs. At the same time the member commits to the Order, as soon as possible, to register a legal entity in place (and for other countries attending all procedures for the use of ayahuasca with the governments, should it prove necessary) and begin to Work in accordance with the resolutions taken in conjunction with the matrix. Obviously this is not standard procedure and happens only to a few individuals who meet two qualities both unusual and uncommon at the same time: A sincere and relentless devotion to spiritual Work combined with personal responsibility with unwavering character and a real inability to exercise the religions practice in the site of origin but in this way.